On-Campus Employment

Eligibility

Students in F-1 or J-1 immigration status, enrolled full time in a degree program are eligible for up to 20 hours a week of on campus employment during the academic year. Students may be eligible to work more than 20 hours a week during, winter, spring and summer breaks of study. If summer is your first or final term, it is not a vacation period, and you may not work more than 20 hours a week.

Your on-campus work authorization as a student ends on the earliest of these dates:

1. Your I-20 or DS-2019 expires
2. You complete your program of study
3. Your immigration status is terminated in SEVIS

Find a Job on Campus

Know what type of job you’re applying for at BU. Work authorization requirements depend on how the position is classified.

Student Employment positions: F-1 students do not need additional work authorization. J-1 students must request an update to their SEVIS record before beginning employment.

Professional staff positions (hired through BU Human Resources): These positions require work authorization, such as Curricular Practical Training (CPT), Optional Practical Training (OPT), or Academic Training (AT), before you can begin working.

• The Student Employment Office (SEO) offers detailed listings of available positions through their Job Board.
• After completing freshman year, students can apply for selective leadership roles such as Orientation Leader, Community Service Coordinator, or Resident Assistant. Note that Resident Assistant positions count as 20-hour jobs, so you cannot hold other on-campus jobs during regular terms. Check out the Office of Orientation and the Office of Residence Life  for more information.
• If you were offered a Research Assistantship (RA) or Teaching Fellowship (TF) as part of your scholarship package, then this counts as an on-campus job, and is considered a 20-hour job. If you have an RA or TF position, you cannot accept any additional on-campus job during regular terms.

On campus Employment Authorization

If you are a J-1 student sponsored by Boston University, you must request on-campus work authorization from ISSO, either by appointment or walk-in. Bring your DS-2019, passport, and I-94 arrival record printed out. Authorization is granted for up to one year or the length of your J-1 program, whichever is shorter.

If your J-1 sponsor is another program (listed in Section 2 of your DS-2019), you need written permission from that sponsor to work on-campus—unless you are funded through a Graduate Teaching Fellowship or Research Assistantship as indicated on your DS-2019.

Qualified Institutional Affiliates

On-Campus Employment with a Non-BU Employer

If you have an offer to work on-campus at BU with a commercial firm—that provides services for students on campus, you will need ISSO approval before you can begin working.

On-Campus Employment at an Off-Campus Location

If you are conducting contractually-funded research essential to your post-graduate program at an off-campus location that is educationally affiliated with Boston University, you must be approved by the ISSO before beginning employment, even if you will be paid by the University.

I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification

The Form I-9 is used to verify the identity and employment authorization of individuals hired for employment in the United States.

You must complete or update Section 1 of your I-9:

• Within three days of starting employment at Boston University.
• When you receive a new or extended Employment Authorization Document (EAD) or other employment authorization.
• If your immigration status changes or is extended.
• If you transition from a BU student role to a regular staff or faculty position, or if your employment extends beyond your graduation date.

Refer to Student Employment Office information on how to complete your I-9 paperwork at BU.

Apply for Social Security Card

If you have not done so earlier in the hiring process, you must apply for your social security card. All student employees are required to have a valid SSN on file by the end of the calendar year, to ensure proper withholding taxes have been deducted from your pay and to avoid possible tax penalties.